Membrane fouling control in ultrafiltration technology for drinking water production: A review

Ultrafiltration is a promising process to produce qualified drinking water. The application of ultrafiltration for drinking water production has undergone accelerated development during the past decade. Membrane fouling may be the main obstacle for wider implementation of ultrafitration, which usually causes higher costs of energy, operation, and maintenance. Fouling is formed due to pore blocking, pore stricting and cake formation. Pretreatments (e.g. coagulation, adsorption, and pre-oxidation) can in various degrees alleviate the fouling by pre-reacting with the foulants in the feed water. However, adverse effects from the pretreatment are also claimed. Moreover, modest operation methods (e.g. running modes, rinsing modes, chemical cleaning, and air scouring) can effectively obtain the fouling reduction. In this report, fouling control in ultrafiltration technology for drinking water production is reviewed in terms of different effective pretreatments and operation methods. Specific mechanisms and future research required are also discussed based on the literature reviewed.

Research Highlights
► Only membrane fouling of ultrafiltration for drinking water production was considered, that is, the strategies discussed in this manuscript were all aiming at how to control the membrane fouling of ultrafiltration for drinking water production.
► In this manuscript, we presented an integrated understanding about different pretreatment methods and operation conditions.
► Some new views on the application of pretreatment methods were presented.